Our church building may be closed, but God’s eyes are open and his ears are attentive to our prayers (2 Chronicles 7.15).

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Opening

Speak these words out loud:

As for God, his way is perfect: the Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.

from 2 Samuel 22.31

Today’s Proverb

Read the proverb through three or four times, slowly. Pause in-between, maybe write it out by hand – savour the words, let them speak deeply to you.

Proverbs 15.14

Today’s proverb carries on yesterday’s theme. Conceited fools are content to stay ignorant, insisting to themselves they are wise, but refusing to listen to evidence to the contrary.

Folly is so tasty, so delicious. It’s the hamburger or pizza of the mind. It’s warm and fuzzy and makes us feel clever (ironically) and secure (incorrectly). Fools love to eat it, swallow it, and share it. It may taste good, but it isn’t nutritious.

What truly feeds us is the meat and two veg of wisdom.

Perhaps today you could ask yourself how much you like to learn, to read or hear things that challenge you – or whether you like to read things that confirm what you already ‘know’? That might be as simple as what newspaper you read: do you swallow it whole and accept what it says? It may be about what you see online, on Facebook or YouTube: do you simply press ‘Share’ without really thinking about what it says? Newspapers and social media are what’s called an ‘echo chamber’: we read and hear largely what we already think.

Most importantly of all, we need to learn from God’s instruction, which is the Bible. Do you seek after that sort of knowledge, or gorge yourself on the foolish ignorance from other sources?

Prayers

Pray for Five – pray for your five friends / family from Thy Kingdom Come.

Our daily prayer sheet includes the names of everyone for whom we have a signed church family directory form – and local parishes and senior church leaders. Today we are praying for:

Janet Wilson, Catriona Paton, Joyce Moore

Father, please bless them with your peace, and a deep awareness of your presence with them, every day and in every way.

We also pray for: Baptism Candidates & Families

Please pray for our leaders and healthcare workers, and all those working to keep us safe, well, and fed. Please pray that people would unselfishly put others before themselves.

Church Family Prayer

Come Holy Spirit,
and make us one in heart and action,
so that we can serve God faithfully:
abounding in love,
maturing in holiness,
and seeking out the lost.
Help us grow as disciples of Jesus –
in commitment, in depth, and in number –
that we may be a blessing to Amington;
to the glory and praise of God the Father.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

Closing Prayer

Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labour in vain.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
the only way to the Father.

Psalm 127.1, Hebrews 12.2 & John 14.6

May Christ our Saviour give us peace.
Amen.